January 2012

Pan Am West Don Lands Athletes’ Village Underway

Waterfront Toronto and Infrastructure Ontario unveiled plans for the portion of the West Don Lands that is being developed and will be used as the Athletes’ Village during the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games, and announced that Dundee Kilmer Developments has signed a fixed-price contract to design, build and finance the development. The Athletes’ Village project leverages investments made to date by the federal, provincial and municipal governments and accelerates implementation of Waterfront Toronto’s award-winning redevelopment plans for the area.

Designed by a team of internationally renowned architects, including Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects, architectsAlliance, Daoust LeStage, TEN Arquitectos and MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects, the project will deliver excellence in design. All the buildings are designed to achieve LEED® Gold.

The project includes:

•    The next phase of West Don Lands infrastructure, roads and public spaces, including new municipal services, Front Street promenade, local streets, and the reconstruction of Eastern Avenue and Cherry Street;
•    A new 82,000 square-foot YMCA recreational facility, which will function as training facility during the Games, then afterwards will serve the West Don Lands and surrounding communities;
•    George Brown College’s first ever student residence, which will be used during the Games to support athletes and officials, and will subsequently provide housing for 500 students;
•    787 units of market housing, which will be used temporarily for Games accommodation, then converted for permanent occupancy following the Games. Up to 100 units will be reserved for affordable ownership;
•    253 units of affordable rental housing, which will be used temporarily for Games accommodation, then converted for permanent occupancy following the Games.
Construction of the project is already underway with enabling works which began in late 2011.

Watch the project overview video or read the news release to learn more.
 

Port Lands Consultation

On December 12th, Waterfront Toronto and the City of Toronto held the first public meeting for the Port Lands Acceleration Initiative at the Toronto Reference Library. Approximately 575 people participated including several City Councillors. The meeting included an overview presentation and an opportunity for participants to ask questions. Small table facilitated discussions focused on participants’ recommendations for project goals and ideas that should be explored to accelerate development and maximize value. The meeting was webcasted to enable online participation and the archived webcast is available for viewing.

A draft summary report of the meeting, including a compilation of all table and individual discussion guides submitted at the meeting and the period following the meeting, was prepared and it has been circulated for public comment before being finalized. Members of the public have until January 25 to comment on the draft report.

We are in the process of creating a Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) which will represent a diverse range of groups and perspectives that have an interest in the Port Lands as a City-wide asset. The SAC will have representatives from community organizations, business/economic groups and special sector groups in such areas as the environment, city building, transportation and boating.

A consultation website is under development and the next round of public consultation is expected to take place in late February or early March.

 

Accolades for West Don Lands Stormwater Treatment Facility

Waterfront Toronto’s West Don Lands stormwater treatment facility has been recognized with a 2011 Award of Excellence by Canadian Architect magazine. The annual awards recognize architectural design excellence and are given to architects and architectural graduates for buildings in the design stage. Canadian Architect jurors consider response to program, site, geographical and social context, and evaluate physical organization, structure, materials and environmental features when assessing submitted projects.

Designed by gh3 Architects and Landscape Architects/ R.V. Anderson Associates Limited, the 300-square-metre treatment facility will be built as part of the stormwater treatment and conveyance system currently under construction to serve West Don Lands and the future North Keating Channel community. The building will house the system’s main treatment plant and is intended to be a landmark structure for the West Don Lands. Construction of the facility, located at the northeast corner of Lake Shore Boulevard and Cherry Street, will begin later this year and will be completed in 2013.

 

Monde Sales Centre Now Open

Great Gulf opened its Monde Condominiums sales centre in December and sales have been steady. The sales centre is designed by the project’s interior design firm Cecconi Simone and features a natural palette of water, stone and wood materials. Located on Lake Shore Boulevard  between Sherbourne and Parliament streets, the sales centre incorporates multi-media, imagery vignettes and a stunning 3D model that gives interested purchasers a sense of what life will be like on Toronto’s new waterfront.

The first residential development in the East Bayfront, Monde will feature 513 beautifully designed, energy-efficient units that overlook the inner harbour, Sherbourne Common and the downtown core. Amenities include an outdoor pool and garden area, indoor fitness and spa area, entertaining space and internet service up to 100 times faster than anywhere in the city.

Construction is scheduled to start in 2012/13 with occupancy anticipated for spring 2016.
 

Sherbourne Common Skating Rink Open

If you are looking for something fun to do this winter season - be sure to check out the Sherbourne Common skating rink. The skating rink is located on the south side of Sherbourne Common and features a 920 square-metre rink that offers fantastic views of Toronto’s downtown skyline.

The skating rink, operated by the City of Toronto’s Parks, Forestry and Recreation Department is open daily between the hours of 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. The rink is serviced by a Zamboni and cleared of ice and snow once a day. Washroom facilities are available in the pavilion. The city will operate the skating rink until February 26 which is the end of its official skating season.
 

Toronto Community Housing Update

The first phase of affordable rental housing in the West Don Lands is under construction.  Toronto Community Housing is developing affordable rental homes in the West Don Lands as part of waterfront revitalization.

Designed by CORE Architects, the 243-unit complex located on the southeast corner of King Street and St. Lawrence Street has been designed to achieve LEED™ Gold certification.  The 243 affordable rental units will be offered in three buildings, designed around a central courtyard. Each of the three buildings will include amenity space and secure bicycle parking for residents.  The eight-storey senior’s building along King Street East will incorporate retail and commercial uses on the ground level.

Occupancy of the development is scheduled to take place in summer 2013.
 

West Don Lands Stormwater Treatment System Construction

Progress continues on construction of the innovative stormwater treatment and conveyance system in the West Don Lands.

Concrete lining of the tunnels is complete and forming and pouring of the Keating shaft has begun. Construction of the storm sewer outfall pipe from the shaft to the Keating Channel will commence once the Keating shaft is complete. Drilling for the Cherry shaft is complete down to the tunnel and forming and pouring of the shaft has commenced. Work is also underway on the oil grit separator. The caisson wall construction is complete, and excavation is underway. Once excavation is complete, the contractor responsible for the oil grit separator structure will begin mobilizing.

Weather and the discovery of additional below-grade issues requires Cherry Street, south of Mill Street, to be closed until February. The Don Valley Trail has also been rerouted for pedestrian and cyclist safety. We thank you for your patience as we build this critical piece of infrastructure for the West Don Lands.

 

Don River Park Construction Update

Don River Park, the cornerstone of the new West Don Lands, continues to progress at a steady pace.  The mild winter weather allowed crews to continue to plant and place soils until late December. The park’s infrastructure systems are nearing completion.  Potable water servicing, the stormwater and sanitary systems, and hydro installation are complete.  


Wood decks, sand and water play equipment in the play areas is complete and in the pavilion area concrete paving and precast pavers are in and banquet tables have been installed. Work on the River Square portion of the park and the park’s irrigation system, and installation of  benches, trash and recycling receptacles, and bollards throughout the park is ongoing. Landscaping work will resume in the spring.
 

Underpass Park Construction Update

Progress continues on Underpass Park, Toronto’s first park located under an overpass.  Situated under and around the Richmond and Adelaide overpasses, the park will transform the derelict and underused space into a bright, new, urban neighbourhood amenity and key pedestrian connection and passageway in the  West Don Lands.

The section located east of St. Lawrence Street is nearing completion. The drinking fountain has been installed and the benches, walls, and concrete and cobble paving are complete. The trash and recycling receptacles, bike rings, and planting are also complete. The basketball half courts and foursquare play areas, including the basketball hoops, poles and lighting are in.
 

East Bayfront External Sanitary Sewer Construction

The construction of the new sanitary sewer which is necessary to service the East Bayfront community is well underway with excavation related activities continuing along The Esplanade.  A temporary watermain installed at surface level is now in place. Although the north curb lane is closed, the sidewalk is open north of the fenced off area and access to all businesses and residences has been maintained.

Installation of the sewer on Lower Jarvis Street between Lake Shore Boulevard and Queens Quay East is now complete. Crews have begun preparing for sewer construction along Queens Quay east of Lower Jarvis. Traffic controls have been put in place along the centre lanes of Queens Quay from Richardson Street to Jarvis Street.  Part of the northbound lane on Richardson at Queens Quay has been closed, but  two-way traffic along Richardson will be maintained. On Dockside Drive, the northbound lane to Queens Quay is closed for ongoing construction activities.

 

York Quay Construction Update

Construction continues on the underground parking garage at Harbourfront Centre. The York Quay Revitalization Project is replacing the surface parking lot with an underground parking garage that will enable the important site to be developed into a public space in the future.

The body of the garage has been poured to its finished level below grade. Installation of some of the above grade elements such as stairwells, the central elevator towers and the ramp into the garage have started. Demolition of the tops of the concrete caissons that formed the concrete secant wall - the enclosure that prevented water from coming in while the garage was under construction - has begun. Weather permitting, application of the waterproof membrane will begin shortly, while construction continues inside the garage. It is expected that the garage will be complete by July. View construction progress online.

 

Waterfront Trail at Bluffer’s Park Public Meeting

The City of Toronto will be holding an upcoming meeting exploring the possibility of connection of the Waterfront Trail at Bluffer’s Park.  As the City works on improving its multi-use trails across Scarborough’s waterfront, the public is encouraged to come out and learn more about the plan for Bluffer’s Park and to provide comments on the plan itself.

The Waterfront Trail is one of the City of Toronto’s most significant trail systems.  Public consultation will outline how this enhancement will improve the safety of cyclists, be a connector to the neighbourhood, ultimately being a trail that can be enjoyed by all – cyclists, walkers, outdoors recreationalists, families, joggers, and most importantly the community.

The meeting will be taking place on January 24, 2012, from 6:30p.m. to 8:30p.m. at Blessed Cardinal Newman High School Auditorium, 100 Brimley Road South (at Kingston Road).  Further information and detailed plans can be found on the City’s project webpage.